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Bathrooms Building a Home

New construction tile job: acceptable?

6 years ago

My flooring shop is asking to see if all is good or if there is anything else they need to do, now that all of our tile is done.

I think overall everything was done pretty well. But I have two small things I'd like a second opinion on:

1. My builder said he was amazed that they white caulked the seams of subway tile with dark grout. I hadn't event thought about it much before, tilers just told me they didn't grout them because they cracked. But builder said the other subs they use would grout and then cover with clear caulk.

All of our showers look like the pic.

2. The bottom few tiles are not lined up because of how they laid some of these tiles down the side past the tub. Is that a normal way to do this?

Thanks for any feedback!

Featured Answer

jln333

6 years ago

The tile guys are right to use caulk rather than grout and clear caulk. But caulk comes in the same color options as grout - they just didn't have the right color caulk at the time so they thought they could get away with white.

That tub treatment is bad. That horizontal tile at the tub requires a hard cut but it isn't that hard. Lazy is what I would call it.

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Comments (9)

cpartist
6 years ago
Sorry but to my untrained eye, both look bad. The caulk is the wrong color and in the second photo why didn't they start with a full tile on the bottom edge and also why did they run the next tiles vertically instead of following the horizontal pattern.

Frankly, I'd be more concerned too that they waterproofed correctly.
ccpark0
6 years ago
Corners aren't wrapped, wrong color caulk and as cpartist mentioned they should have used a full tile at the bottom unless there is a reason at the top of the shower not to do so.
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I'm having a very similar issue with my floor tiles. My builder stated that a tiler was unavailable during the construction of my house and said that his builder will do my tiling. He reasurred me that he was very good. Well job is done and there is lipping everywhere. He has tried to replace the worst ones (6 tiles.. making no difference) and regrouted everything but I'm still not happy. I haven't tried the card test yet but I will. He just keeps telling me "my tiles may even be worse then these, they are within standards" (he does not have polished porcelain with a rectified edge!) Its also the reflection that bothers me. I had an expectation that any reflection should be almost mirror image, but my reflections seem to jump all over the place, which is what alerted me to the lipping in the first place. Is this normal?? Do I have an unreal expectation that he should rip them up and start again? They are not all bad, but by replacing one, I feel it will cause lipping to the one next to it etc. Please help :( I dont know what I should accept and what I have a right to demand.
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All I can say is I would be pissed. I could have done a better job myself. I have had one contractor mess up a job and as soon as I noticed they were screwing up I told him to stop work. He told me his plans to correct and I told him hell no this was an official stop work order meanaing he is to leave my premises and not come back. I figured out a price that I thought was due to him, because I did not want him to come set my house on fire or anything and that was that. It was equilivant to the percentage of work he already did. We inherantly want to be nice BUT we also don't want to be ripped off or have shoddy work. People will take advantage of that. You might be able to fix what he did since there was no grout put in. To be sure someone else coming in is going to want to do a whole rip out. I would not personally do that. I would fix what I could by replacing the bottom two misaligned tiles and have it all grouted, have the seat tiled and grouted and call it a day. Its a story that you will be telling for a long time and a lesson learned....that in the future you need to check your contractors work and references.
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We charge about that much for the shower of this size alone and that's not a bragging point as to savings in this case as we cant see the mess below the tile. If ther'es one thing I know is how long it takes to build a shower "properly" to industry standards with professional materials and how that equates to time/labor/materials. Forget about permits and inspections i guess ! Based on the one redgard photo you've not got a MFG nor industry compliant build here, and thats usually an indicator of more debauchery below the tile almost always in the curb and pan area. Tile itself and the tile craftsman are a LUXURY item not a necessity, many people today are getting roped into tile and handyman rates when they should be looking at Prefab surrounds and luxury vinyl paired with a competant contractor in that field.. Hire and SHOP wisely America.
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PRO
Creative Tile Eastern CT
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Builders suggestion to caulk over grout is 100% wrong. I share cpartist & jln333 comments and disagree with ccpark0. The corners are wrapped and it is a full tile at the tub deck.

https://www.ceramictilefoundation.org/homeowners-guide-to-hiring-qualified-tile-installer
ArlWV
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you guys so much for the feedback.

So the caulk is not the right color, but they we're right to caulk it the way they did. Got it.

Want to make sure I understand what should have been done for the second issue. Horizontal tiles should have been continued down the side so the grout lines continue to match up with the vertical bullnose pieces? Is that the only issue or are you describing two different ones?

Thanks!
PRO
Mint tile Minneapolis
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Quality? Its on par with builder grade lowest denominator sub contracted tile installation work. Theres also Custom professional master tile installation crews out there.

"But builder said the other subs they use would grout and then cover with clear caulk. "

As CTEC stated builder is wrong and you dont want his other sub either. What you want is a detailed scope in your next tile contract refrencing industry standards to be met and followed as well as details of layout expected only then will you have written documentation to debate upon.
nicole___
6 years ago
The hole they cut for the shower head doesn't bother you...? Aesthetically ...?
robin0919
6 years ago
nicole....that's completely normal. The hole will be covered up with an attachment around the pipe. They probably used a half tile at the bottom because it's out of site. They probably wanted a full tile at the top which is in sight. They sr@wed up the bottom 3 tiles next to the tub. IMO....they were trying to cut corners to save time. That's unexceptionable.
ArlWV
Original Author
6 years ago
The good news is that I sent pics of all of my concerns to the tile shop owner and he sent his guy back out the last two days to fix issues...I know he had redone the vertical tiles down the side of the tub already. Not sure which of the other ones he has worked on yet.

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